Iran Secretly Strikes €500 Million Arms Deal with Russia
The Iranian government has secretly reached a €500 million (Rp 9.9 trillion) arms deal with Russia. The agreement reportedly involves the procurement of thousands of advanced Russian shoulder-fired missiles.
The secret arms deal between Tehran and Moscow, as reported by Reuters on Monday (23/2/2026), was revealed by the prominent Financial Times in its report on Sunday (22/2) local time.
The Financial Times report was based on leaked Russian documents and testimony from several sources with knowledge of the secret agreement.
The deal, signed in Moscow last December, according to the Financial Times report, obliges Russia to supply 500 portable “Verba” launchers and 2,500 “9M336” missiles within three years. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report.
Under the secret agreement, the Financial Times stated in its report, weapons deliveries from Russia to Iran are scheduled in three stages, beginning in 2027 through to 2029.
The Financial Times report noted that the deal was negotiated between Russia’s state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, and representatives of Iran’s Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
According to the contract seen by the Financial Times, Tehran formally requested the weapons system in July last year.
A month prior, in June last year, Israel launched a massive wave of strikes against Iran, with the United States joining in the bombing of Tehran’s key nuclear facilities.
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s main nuclear facilities were destroyed in the strikes. However, according to Washington’s intelligence assessment at the time, the US bombing did not destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities and only set back operations by several months.
Tehran officials have repeatedly asserted that Iran has recovered from the damage sustained during the conflict and that their capabilities are now stronger than before.
Russia has a strategic partnership agreement with Iran, although it does not include a mutual defence clause. Earlier in February, a Russian Navy corvette conducted manoeuvres with the Iranian Navy in the Gulf of Oman.